Lady Thatcher had been staying at the five-star hotel since Christmas as she recovered from a minor operation.

On Monday morning she died in her suite at the hotel after a stroke at the age of 87. Her doctor and one of her carers were in attendance, although both her children were abroad at the time.

Aidan Barclay, the chairman of the Telegraph Media Group, whose family owns the Ritz, said: "We were delighted to have the opportunity to play a small part in looking after this remarkable lady in the last few months of her life.

"Lady Thatcher was one of Britain's greatest ever prime ministers and we were honoured to have her stay at the Ritz. We would like to thank staff at the Ritz hotel for helping to make her final days as comfortable as possible."

According to friends, she died peacefully at 11.28am on Monday while sitting in a chair reading.

Lady Thatcher's body was taken out of the hotel shortly after midnight yesterday. Senior staff from the hotel lined the corridor as a mark of respect.

The body was driven away by three undertakers escorted by four diplomatic protection officers on motorbikes. More than a dozen officers surrounded the hotel as the vehicle pulled away and a police helicopter circled above.

Margaret Thatcher's body was moved out of the Ritz Hotel in the early hours of Tuesday morning

Lady Thatcher was fond of the Ritz and before falling ill used to eat there twice a week, with other diners often erupting into applause on her arrival. She moved into a suite in December, but decided to stay as she became "increasingly frail".

According to friends, she struggled with the stairs at her home in Belgravia, London. She had two carers who took it in turns to stay with her, and a group of friends saw her on a weekly basis. Before moving to the hotel, her private secretary, Mark Worthington, kept her diary, while Cynthia Crawford, her personal assistant, was an almost constant presence.